Distinguishing logopenic from semantic & nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia: Patterns of linguistic and behavioral correlations

ABSTRACT

While language characteristics of logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) are well-defined, behavioral characteristics are less understood. We investigated correlations between language and behavioral scores across three variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and found language performance and behavioral disturbances are correlated in lvPPA, but not other PPA subtypes. Results suggest that unlike other PPA variants, patients diagnosed with lvPPA do not develop negative behaviors until language deficits are severe. This is consistent with the underlying neuropathology of lvPPA, Alzheimer's Disease. Such findings are crucial to clinical prognosis, especially when considering the progressive nature of this disease.

KEYWORDS:

• Primary progressive aphasia
• logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia
• semantic variant primary progressive aphasia
• nonfluent agrammatic primary progressive aphasia
• language symptoms
• behavior

Disclosure statement

Argye E. Hillis MD, receives compensation from AHA for editorial activities for Strokeand Elsevier for editorial activities for Practice Update Neurology.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIH/NIDCD): R01 DC005375, P50 DC011739, and by a research grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIH/NCDCD): R01 DC011317 and the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIH/NIDCD): R00 DC015554.